This week Kevin sits down with Beauty Pill front-man/mastermind Chad Clark to talk about their astounding new record Beauty Pill Describes Things As They Are. Initially conceived of in 2006, the project was unexpectedly put on hold when Clark fell ill in 2007. Multiple life-saving surgeries and a new outlook on life later, Clark and his cohorts have crafted a rare, exploding-with-life masterpiece that sounds as big as the universe while managing to tackle smaller, more personal matters of the heart (often quite literally) with sophistication and ease. 

Tune in for a deeply human, moving, and life affirming conversation on Episode 114 of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast.

*Photo courtesy of PJ Sykes

In our latest podcast, the TIDAL wave of fail continues for Jay Z’s newborn streaming service. CEO firings and cold calls from Jack White? We dish the latest news on TIDAL, then dive into the messy realities of “poptimism” and what it means for you. PLUS!! The gang takes an Ivy Tripp with singer/songwriter Katie Crutchfield aka Waxahatchee, and Escape From Evil with one of Baltimore’s best, Lower Dens. It’s a jam/schadenfreude packed hour of deep feelings, hard truths and a bit of outlaw country on Episode 113 of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast!

On this week’s podcast, Andrew Grossman and Michael Hernandez of DC’s The North Country stop by the basement the morning after a most triumphant show at Babe City to talk about their upcoming album There Is Nothing To Fear. A pastiche of early 2000’s indie rock (think Arcade Fire, Wilco, My Morning Jacket) mashed together with whip-smart observational lyrics and sublimely honest, observational, lyricism, Fear not only marks the arrival of a major musical force on the DC scene, but happens to be one of the best albums of 2015 to date.

Whether you’re already a fan, or just getting hip to The North Country, this is one conversation you’re not gonna want to miss on Episode 112 of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast!

On this week’s podcast, Kevin, Carrie and Patrick explore the often hilarious, and hilariously verbose world of Australian singer/songwriter Courtney Barnett and her debut LP sometimes I sit and think, and sometimes I just sit. But not before dishing all of the dirt on Jay Z’s Tidal, the newest player in the streaming landscape. Artist owned and curated, will Tidal, with its “hi-fi” stream and no free tier subscription, follow through on its promise to save the music industry, or is it just more of the same with megastar backers.

PLUS!! Richmond, Virginia’s AVERS has been hard at work on their sophomore album and we’ve got the first single, “Vampire” for you to put in your ears, where it belongs! Get ready to tune in and rawk out on Episode 111 of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast!

In 2012 Kendrick Lamar stunned with Good Kid M.A.A.D. City, leaving fans and critics alike wondering what he could possibly do to follow up his magnum opus. Two weeks ago, the world got their answer when To Pimp A Butterfly dropped a week early, selling over 300,000 copies in its first week alone, and breaking the first day record for number of streams, finding its way into a whopping  9.6 sets of ears. After taking some time to digest this sonic and sociopolitical masterpiece, Kevin and Paul are joined by Andy Johnson (@ndyjohnson) and Marcus Dowling (Freelancer - about.me/marcuskdowling) in the basement to share some thoughts, ponder what the long term impact of To Pimp A Butterfly will be and more.  It’s a can’t miss podcast about a can’t miss album on Episode 110 of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast!

On our latest podcast, we check in on Boston noise rockers, Pile, and their new album You’re Better Than This, then take a long, strange trip with Chicago-based songwriter/guitarist Ryley Walker and his latest van-worthy collection of jams, Primrose Green.

PLUS! Kanye West may have been pegged to headline this year’s Glastonbury Music Festival, but all may not be well in the land of yeezy.  NINETY THOUSAND signatures stong and counting, a petition launched last week by a group of dissatisfied music fans seeks to convince the organizers that soon to be Dr. West may not be the right fit for this annual musical throw-down. Will they prevail? Should Kanye back out? Are music festivals even worth it anymore? We ponder these questions and more on Episode 109 of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast!

On this week’s podcast, we’re talking the return of indie-rockers Modest Mouse. For Strangers To Ourselves, their first album in eight years, Isaac Brock and crew mashed together a little of the old and a whole lot of the new to make an album that’s decidedly Modest Mouse, but is it any good? Kevin and Paul discuss the album, the band’s legacy and more, but not before diving deep in to the clusterf#@# of the Blurred lines decision handed down late last week.  Hit with a $7.4 million fine for copyright infringement, Robin Thicke and Pharell Williams are on the front lines of a fight that’s about to heat up, one that threatens to cripple the way all art, not just music, is made and sold in the very near future.

PLUS! We’ve got a dark and sophisticated new track from DC collective Waltz Brigade you to put in your ears off of their recent EP Slow Mountain! Tune in and turn it up, cuz we’re running lean and mean on Episode 108 of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast! 

It’s the conclusion of our two part series on Unsung Drummers! Picking up right where we left off earlier this week, Adam Dawson, Ben Tufts and Mike Smirnoff dive even deeper into the drummers that influenced not just them, but a whole generation of musicians. Earl Palmer, Billy Conway, Russ Kunkel  and more all get their due in Episode 107 of Chunkyglasses: The Podcast -  Unsung Drummers!

On our latest podcast we invite some of DC’s hardest working drummers to the basement for a super-sized, multi-part exploration of UNSUNG DRUMMERS. In part one of our two-part extravaganza, Ben Tufts and Mike Smirnoff join Kevin and Adam to shine a light on some drummers that you probably don't know about, but absolutely should. We're taking a look at drummers who brought something important to the table, and who should have become household names but didn't due to bad luck, bad band breakups, or having no interest whatsoever in becoming a household name. Educational, inspirational, explorational, and super-powered by rock & roll, it’s the biggest podcast we’ve done yet. Episode 106 of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast – UNSUNG DRUMMERS!

On our latest podcast Kevin and Adam invite Derek Evry (Musician, man about town) and James Main (Assistant Talent Buyer, Gypsy Sally’s) to the basement to talk about the time-honored tradition of OPEN MIC NIGHTS. No strangers to the scene, Derek and James share stories of time spent at IOTA’s legendary stage that has turned out the likes of Andy Zipf, Justin Jones, Lauren Calve and more, plus dive deep into what makes an open mic night work (or not) and why there are so important music makers and music fans alike. It’s a giant-sized trip down memory lane on Episode 105 of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast!

On this week’s podcast it might get loud when we review new albums from rock and roll powerhouses Screaming Females and “New York’s loudest band” A Place To Bury Strangers.  Plus!! Kevin, Paul and Patrick discuss the pros and cons of the secondary ticket market, reveal why no matter how you slice it stealing gas to do your tour DIY style is some really big BS, and then take a moment to reflect on this week’s announcement that Condè Nast has named our home Washington, DC the number one city for music lovers in America! Time to turn it up, it’s Episode 104 of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast! 

On this week’s podcast we’re doubling down on the album reviews to make sure no good record gets left behind in 2015. First up, Björk is back with what many are calling her best album in years, Vulnicura. An eccentric, esoteric journey through heartbreak and loss, is it everything a Björk fan could want, or something…else? Then we take a look at On Your Own Love Again, the sophomore release from acclaimed lo-fi folk artist Jessica Pratt.  PLUS!! Grammy talk, timeless musical mood-setting advice for your college experience,and the last word on a story that has gone too far: Jack White’s guacamole. Get ready to have your heart strings tugged and your romantical skills enhanced on Episode 103 of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast!

On the just-released Pattern Matching, the sophomore album from DC-based indie-folk outfit Stranger In The Alps, main man Steve Kolowich and friends have built upon the foundation he laid with 2013’s Honey If You’re Lucky to produce a record that is as willingly playful with its songwriting and use of language as it is with the boundaries of the genre which it operates in. For our latest podcast Kevin sat down for an in-depth discussion with Steve to discuss the making of the album, the art of songwriting, the DC scene through his eyes and much, much more.  It’s a double-sized, music-nerd extravaganza on Episode 102 of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast!

Solo acoustic shows from artists who usually perform with bands, performing songs that they usually play with those bands, have the potential to go wrong in so many ways. First, there’s the question of whether the songs can hold up to being stripped down to their barest elements. The bass and the drums might not always be the standout features of a song, but they’re often the underlying structure holding it together. Second, there’s the question of whether the artist can hold the stage by him- or herself, without anyone else to fall back on. It takes a confident performer to be able to engage an audience alone, to be the sole focus of attention for the entire set...

On our latest podcast, we dig deep into the man, the myth, the legend that is Father John Misty as the gang breaks down his latest effort, I Love You, Honeybear. Is it the masterpiece that everyone expected or just another day in the Josh Tillman’s long strange trip? PLUS!!! New York City contemplates making subsidized housing available to “creatives”, Taylor Swift trademarks everything, Jack White’s guacamole makes the news, and much, much more. Time to shimmy into your sexypants and get comfortable for Episode 101 of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast! 

For our HUNDREDTH EPISODE (!!) we re-present to you our chat with one Damien Jurado, recorded almost a year ago to the day! His 2014 album Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son ultimately topped many a year end list, and before a stop in Washington, DC on his first tour for the record, Damien opened up to Kevin and Andre about the deeper meanings of the record, how his inspirations often come from the most unlikely of places, and… saxophones? PLUS! Kevin takes a quick walk down memory lane to revisit the beginnings of the podcast, shares how this interview was a turning point in the the long, often strange, trip ye olde 'cast has taken us on, and  hints at where we might be headed from here. So tune in and marvel at our unchecked tenacity, as we present to you EPISODE ONE HUNDRED of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast!!

On our latest podcast, Astra Via’s Jarret Nicolay joins the gang in the basement to talk about the The Phosphorescent Blues, the latest album from prog-grass forerunners Punch Brothers! PLUS! Bjork tells the pirates where they can stick it by officially releasing Vulnicura months before it was due, and new music from much hyped up-and-comer Natalie Prass! The curmudgeon flows strong in Episode 99 of ChunkyGlasses: THE PODCAST!

It’s 2015 and time to dig into the slew of huge new releases coming our way. First up: The gang reviews this year’s most anticipated comeback albums, Sleater Kinney’s No Cities To Love! Kevin, Paul , Quinn and Tori dive deep into the band’s history, their re-emergence and how the trio fits into the modern music scene nine years after calling it quits, and more.  PLUS! Richmond, Virginia’s pop shredders The Trillions are back, and we’re debuting their frenetic track “Extinction Blues” from their electrifying new album Superposition, due out at the end of January. So strap in and get ready to get rocked on Episode 98 of Chunkyglasses: The Podcast!

We’re back! In our first podcast of 2015, the gang takes a trip BACK to 2014 to review the masterful and long-awaited newest album from D’Angelo and The Vanguard, BLACK MESSIAH! PLUS! An article from early last year sparks a discussion on the state of music journalism in 2015, new music from DC’s Stranger In The Alps, and much, much more. Welcome in the new year right with Episode 97 of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast!

2014 was a huge year for great music, so in like fashion we’ve got a HUGE podcast to finish the year out. Paul, Adam, Quinn, Tori, Brian, Carrie and Seàn join Kevin in the basement to talk about their favorite songs, albums and artists of the year, and what everyone is looking forward to in 2015. PLUS! One last round of “Prince is a dick” to decide once-and-for-all if Prince really is…well…you get the picture.

So strap in loyal listeners as the ChunkyGlasses gang takes on the year that was on Episode 96 of ChunkyGlasses: The Podcast – Best Of 2014!